Thread: $1000 vs $50 shave

In my top ten, the 3 cheapest straights were found in flea market for 1 € each. My favorite was bought for 25 €, the others were from 5 € to 15 €.

I did not pay anything for my Iwasaki razors.

Originally Posted by RobinK

Well, it's been almost ten years since I wrote https://shavelibrary.com/w/Shopping_list_for_beginners, but very little has changed, I see.


You are actually addressing three separate issues here.

1. #14 blades were all made in Solingen, and ground by God knows whom. Everybody loves the look of these blades, but - and that's the kicker - the mass produced ones are the most boring. Such as the #14 Filarmonicas. A Hermann Mehl, or a Guillermo Hoppe ground #14 razor, however, or one of the unobtainable old #14 Revisor master pieces... that is a different story entirely. Basically, people are paying often insane amounts of money for the equivalent of a Mercedes E class, thinking they got themselves a Porsche. Nice razors, but the price/novelty ratio is surprisingly low.
2. Iwasaki razors are rare, because they were never mass produced. And like Swedes and Germans, the Japanese tend to strive for perfection, making these razors even more interesting.
3. Filarmonica and Henckels razors, by contrast, were mass produced. Which is why they are among the most readily available vintage razors on eBay. Along with DublDucks, the epitomy of razor hype. None of them are bad razors. In the same way that a Ford Focus is not a bad car.

I am a little bit confused with the car comparison. Is there a difference in the feeling of the shave between lets say Iwasaki, Fili and a cheaper razor? OP and the majority say no. The point that I find confusing is that there is a huge difference in the driving between a Porsche or a M4 and the mentioned Ford Focus.
I am not trying to nit pick but if we are trying to avoid confusion of new shavers I would avoid comparing razors to cars because I bet everybody will go for the high end sports car

Originally Posted by mainaman

I did not pay anything for my Iwasaki razors.

I would be happy to double your money on one of them!

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

You don't need that, Theoman!
Come to your senses!

But look at it I want it!

Originally Posted by alex1921

I am a little bit confused with the car comparison. Is there a difference in the feeling of the shave between lets say Iwasaki, Fili and a cheaper razor? OP and the majority say no. The point that I find confusing is that there is a huge difference in the driving between a Porsche or a M4 and the mentioned Ford Focus.

I was not talking about the performance, but the make and finish. And yes, we should have done those double blind tests many years ago. I still maintain that people will not be able to identify specific razors with their eyes closed.

Originally Posted by alex1921

I am not trying to nit pick but if we are trying to avoid confusion of new shavers I would avoid comparing razors to cars because I bet everybody will go for the high end sports car

I've found the real key to all this is that it's all a very personal thing, subject to change if one's tastes change. Hope this doesn't ignite a war...

To me, first and foremost the blade must take and hold a good edge. That eliminates anything from Pakistan for me as well as most Gold Dollars. NOTE: Do not ignite the GD wars please. It's just that GDs are hit and miss as to their ability to take and hold an edge in my experience. That's too bad since some of them are kinda nice looking. Paki blades, well, I've never found one I liked - salvaged steel from old ships doesn't seem to work out well as shavers.

Second is the steel itself (really part of the edge issue) I love Swedes and other hard steels but DAMN they can be tough to sharpen. However it's worth every minute it takes to keen up because once they're in the right place, they seem to stay there forever to me. Softer stuff takes an edge more easily, but you're back at it sooner. So to me a softer steel requires more blades in the rotation so you can avoid having to hit the stones as often - so more $$. What you save by buying a softer steel you dump back into it all by buying more of them. You COULD be OK with honing more often but after some time you'll remove steel unnecessarily IMO,

Third, what's important to you? If it's a good shave then a few extra bucks may be worth it to get the right steel and blade geometry. They can all be had for a song if you don't want the bells and whistles (inlaid scales, exotic woods, covered tangs, or perfect mirror finishes). I like hard steel, a gentle smile, and something just shy of a wedge between 6/8 to 7/8 width. That narrows the field considerably and take away a huge number of variables. It also seems to keep me pointed toward the older blades and not new full hollows. I certainly will buy something just to try it out, but normally those blades eventually sleep in a box in the basement or get sold off.

But that's just me, and besides... sometimes I see a beautiful and expensive custom blade that doesn't fit one or more requirement, but I absolutely HAVE to have it. So I get it, use it for a few months, and usually put it away or sell it. I shouldn't make the obvious comparison to women immediately after one gets a divorce but...

Originally Posted by RobinK

I was not talking about the performance, but the make and finish. And yes, we should have done those double blind tests many years ago. I still maintain that people will not be able to identify specific razors with their eyes closed.

I was just watching a YT video of super car driving gone bad

I got a pair of these for about $35USD delivered. Lesser known name, no competition, I’m quite pleased with the quality and shave.

Candidus.....Hard to see!